Browns rail: How Cleveland beat the Texans

Monday

Nov 26, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 26, 2007 at 10:22 AM

Items from Sunday's game in Cleveland.

Todd Porter

They won it here

After Derek Anderson’s worst pass of the game, maybe the season, was intercepted, the Texans had a chance to take a 13-7 lead before halftime. Instead, Kris Brown’s 46-yard field goal was wide right. Anderson had a second chance to redeem himself. He led the offense on an 11-play, 64-yard drive that had the Browns facing a third-and-15, and then a fourth-and-3. Anderson completed a 12-yard pass on third-and-15 to Kellen Winslow, and then he drilled a slant route to Braylon Edwards for 9 yards and a first down at the Houston 23. With 21 seconds left, Anderson hit Winslow in traffic near the left side of the end zone for a touchdown and a 14-10 lead.

They said it

“That’s tough. We missed the field goal and they go down and score a touchdown. It’s a tough situation. Instead of being up by three, we’re down four. It goes in their favor ... then they get the ball to start the second half.”

- Houston QB Matt Schaub on the halftime swing

“If you don’t let them throw the ball deep on you, it’s hard to be a shootout. If the team has to drive the ball, that takes some time and holds the score down as well. That helped today.”

- Romeo Crennel on the game not developing into an offensive shootout

Player of the game

TE Kellen Winslow Jr. looked like the player the Browns drafted out of Miami. He caught 10 passes for 107 yards and scored a TD. Few of Winslow’s 10 catches were easy. He often caught the ball in traffic and took big hits after securing the catch. He showed Sunday, again, it is nearly impossible to cover him with a linebacker.

Up and down

- Derek Anderson’s 96.5 passer rating was his best since a 143 four weeks ago against St. Louis. Anderson was on target and his TD pass to Braylon Edwards fit into a small window and past LB Danny Clark.

- Return man Josh Cribbs was a nonfactor and had a long return of 29 yards. Cribbs did get some love, though. The Browns introduced their special teams prior to the game and Cribbs easily received the loudest ovation.

- Rookie CB Brandon McDonald broke up four passes, intercepted a pass and played his best game of the season.
The Browns have won five straight at home for the first time since 1994.

Brady watch

Quinn stayed warm sitting on the team’s heated bench. Through 11 games, Anderson has completed 212-of-365 passes for 2,758 yards, 22 TDs and 11 interceptions. His passer rating is 89.5, a half point from being considered among the elite QBs in the NFL. Quinn won’t be playing any time soon, as long as Anderson stays healthy.

Quick hitters

- Washington High School graduate and national recording artist Jeff Timmons sang the national anthem.

- When you think of Browns all-time scorers you always equate Jim Brown and Phil Dawson, right? Dawson’s 25-yard field goal in the third quarter gave him 756 career points in Cleveland, which tied him with Jim Brown for third place all time. Dawson later passed him with a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

- Jamal Lewis’ eight rushing TDs is the most by a Browns RB since Kevin Mack in 1991.

Grading the ‘O’

A-minus

It was “Throw Back Day” at Cleveland Browns Stadium and Cleveland wore its old-style helmets with the players’ numbers on the side of the helmet. It looked like Maurice Carthon day in the first quarter. Cleveland gave up its first two possessions after coordinator Rob Chudzinski, who’s been spot-on most of the season, left people scratching their heads on a third-and-1 call and a fourth-and-1 on the next series. Aside from a “Metcalf up the middle” type of play and using Josh Cribbs as a decoy, Cleveland’s offense got it going in the second quarter. Anderson threw for 253 yards and Jamal Lewis ran for 134. That’s a good day. After a first quarter that garnered one first down, the Browns finished with 21 and 397 total yards. And they scored 27 points.

Grading the ‘D’

A

Houston isn’t a great team, but the Texas have a productive offense and they were held in check Sunday. Cleveland got pressure on Schaub and sacked him twice and hurried him seven other times. If not for a late, no-huddle offensive score, the defense would have had its finest performance of the season, Crennel said. McDonald coming on and playing one of the better games of the season for a CB was a boost.

Grading the coaches

B

Chudzinski’s conservative, head-scratching calls early in the game kept this grade down. The Browns offense kept Houston in the game longer that need be. The defense has made steady improvement the last three weeks. The Browns are winning games and looking like a difficult team to beat. They stopped a Houston team that won two in a row. A year ago people were asking for Romeo Crennel’s head. Now they’re asking for his autograph. The Browns are developing into a team with confidence and swagger.